Acceptance
by Victoria's Little Dancer
Summary: Victoria and Jemima meet Grizabella who struggles for acceptance into the tribe. Meanwhile Jemima and Victoria try to persuade their Jellicle mates and find the true meaning of happiness in the process.


Hey Guys!

This is my first time writing and posting Fanfiction and i can't wait to see your reviews (good or bad) and i will use all your feedback in my other stories.

It was a warm spring day with a slight breeze, making it the perfect day to just go outside and _do_ something. So that's what the Jellicle kittens did. Being kittens, there were naturally some grown-ups about. They were talking about real estate or some other equally boring topic. Meanwhile, the kittens did something useful: they played.

Most of the tom-kits were playing some highly complex version of tag, which involved a bottle of ketchup and an empty toilet paper roll. Etcetera, Electra, and Sillabub, being the crazy Tugger-fans that they were, switched between stalking Tugger and playing Tugger-truth or dare. The grown-ups were watching this very closely.

The other two kittens, Jemima and Victoria, were playing volley ball with a piece of yarn as the net and a tiny, red ball they found amongst the junk as the volleyball.

"Over to you!" Victoria said batting the ball over the net to Jemima. "Back to you!" Jemima said. She batted the ball especially hard and it flew over Victoria's head and rolled behind a piece of junk.

"Oops," Jemima said sorrowfully, "My bad. Now we can't go get it. Dad said to stay close to the grown-ups."

"Maybe Dad will let us go find it. We should ask him," Victoria said.

"Okay we'll do that," Jemima said. They walked over to the Munkustrap and asked him "Dad, can help us find our ball?"

"Go away. I'm busy," He said grumpily, "I'm running on very little sleep and your uncle could show up any minute." Jemima and Victoria walked away sorrowfully.

"What are we going to do now?" Victoria asked.

"We might as well tear apart the junk with our bare paws," Jemima answered.

"That won't work."

"I know it won't! I was kidding!"

"Oh," Victoria said. Jemima face-palmed.

"Let's try scratching it out from underneath," Jemima said.

"Ok," Victoria answered and crawled as far underneath the junk as she could go and pawed around for it. When she came back out, she sorrowfully said, "I can't find it."

"I liked that ball. That was a nice ball," Jemima said, "Oh, Fred! How could I do such a thing!" Jemima leaned on Victoria's shoulder sorrowfully.

"Who's Fred?" Victoria asked.

"The ball."

"Oh. Hey, Jemima?"

"Yes?" Jemima sniffed.

"Are you gonna try to get Fred back?"

"Yeah, I probably should." Jemima crawled all the way underneath the junk so that only the tip of her tale showed. She was pawing around when suddenly she felt some fur brush against her side. She quickly scrambled out and whispered, "There's something in there!"

"Whoever you are, c-come out!" Victoria said.

"Yeah, what she said" Jemima echoed. There was some rustling underneath the junk.

"Thi-this isn't funny!" Victoria trembled. Something kept rustling underneath the junk when suddenly it appeared. The kits screamed, then noticed that the thing that appeared was not a Macavity henchman or junk monster, but a beautiful old queen. Her coat was torn and stained with sand. Her lipstick was smeared and she had a small limp. But despite all this her eyes seemed to smile upon them. She giggled and said, "Do not be afraid I will not harm you." The kittens calmed down and then the queen asked: "Also is this yours?" She then revealed the red ball ball they had been looking for all along.

" You found Fred!" Jemima cried with joy.

" Excuse me?" the old queen asked

" Sorry, my sister really likes her ball, who is aparently named Fred," Victoria said embarrassed. The queen giggled then handed Fred to Jemima.

" What are your names little ones?" she asked with a smile still on her face.

" I'm Victoria and this is my sister Jemima," Victoria said since Jemima was too focused on Fred and hugging him like a stuffed animal, then chasing after him when he slipped out of her arms.

" What is yours, " Victoria asked.

" Grizabella." the queen answered. Finally, with Fred still in her arms, Jemima asked: "Would you like to play with us?" Grizabella thought for a moment then said " Yes let's play, I spy. I spy with my little eye-"

" Get away from Grizabella!" Munkustrap yelled " You have no reason to be on Jellicle Property, Grizabella.

" I was just coming for the Jellicle Ball." she said calmly.

" You cannot go to the Jellicle Ball when you are not a Jellicle!" Munkustrap argued. They kept on arguing, back and forth while the kittens glumly sat down on the tire. Victoria huffed then Jemima said " Well that was unsatisfying. It's not like she's Macavity or something." a loud shoosh went through the junkyard then Demeter screamed " Macavity!" then curled up into a tiny ball. It took a good fifteen minutes to get her uncurled and another hour to calm her down (of course with the help of Mario Kart). Victoria and Jemima watched the proceedings with small grins.

"It's okay, Deme, Macavity's not here," Munk soothed. Demeter curled back into a tiny ball.

"But when you reach the scene of crime, Macavity's not there!" Demeter sobbed. "What do you expect?" Jemima rolled her eyes and face-palmed.

"How am I related to Demeter?" she groaned.

"She's our adoptive mom," Victoria said unhelpfully. Jemima face-palmed again.

"It was a rhetorical question. Can people stop being stupid? My face hurts," She groaned.

"Why is Mom so scared of Acavity-may, anyway?" Victoria whispered so to not cause another Demeter-scare.

"Mom and Dad talk about it at night when I'm supposed to be asleep. Apparently, Acavity-may liked Bomba and Bomba went off with him when he was banished. Then Bomba realized that Acavity-may wasn't that great and came back. Acavity-may then kidnapped Demeter to get back at Bomba for leaving him. Then Munkustrap had to go rescue her and Acavity-may has been trying to get Demeter back to get back at Bomba ever since."

"That is more tangled than whether or not Bomba and Tugger are together because Bomba's like 'I'm breaking up with you' then the next day she's like 'hi boyfriend!'!" Victoria said then they giggled together for several minutes. When they were sober again Jemima said in a perfect imitation of the adults " Whenever we ask an adult to play with us they say such rude children, go away!" Victoria giggled again and then said, " I know it just doesn't make sense."

" Nothing makes sense in this world of ours."

" True, very true"

"How about we sneak away to spend time with her."Jemima said.

" Ya, when should we do that."

"Right now"

"Ok"Victoria said then they began sneaking towards the piece of junk where they lost Fred. Jemima had already crawled underneath and Victoria was halfway under when Tumblebrutus walked up and asked:"what are you and Jemima doing?"

"We're just playing I spy. Nothing really that fun."

"But why under there?" He asked.

"Because it's so hot outside." She answered.

"ok" He said. Then he left to play ketchup and toiletpaper tag. Victoria crawled underneath where Grizabella and Jemima were waiting. "So," She said. "Who wants to go first!" They played eye spy for an hour or two when suddenly Munkustrap called: " Victoria, Jemima!"

" Yes Dad!" they called back

" We're going home so that your mother can make dinner!"

" Okay!"

Jemima and Victoria turned to look at Grizabella and asked:"Grizabella, can we play again tomarrow?"

"Yes," she said " I'd love to."

"Ok we'll see you tomarrow!" They hugged her good bye then left to follow their parents home.

The next morning after Victoria and Jemima got ready they walked into they kitchen where Demeter was making breakfast. "Good morning" Demeter said as they entered the room.

"Good morning." They replied. she hannded them breakfast and they sat down at the table.

" I'm sorry but we have work to do so we 're dropping you off at Jenny's for the day," Demeter said.

" Okay." Jemima and Victoria said. When they were all ready they set out and dropped off Jemima and Victoria at Jenny's.

"I'll take the kittens home, I know how busy you are with the ball tomorrow night," Jenny said kindly.

"Thank you so much that would be a great help," Demeter answered.

The kittens looked around and saw the hopeful eyes of Grizzebella. "Come on," Jemima whispered. They crawled under the car were Grizzebella was hiding then she said "Hello Jemima and Victoria. Are you here for another round of eye spy?" She chuckled softly then Victoria said " Yes we are! Why don't you start?"

"I spy with my little eye something that is the color yellow," Grizzebella said

"Miss Jenny's mug?" Jemima asked.

"No"

"The daffodils in Jenny's vase?" Victoria asked.

"wrong again."

"Ooh ooh ooh! Is it Moms fur?" Jemima asked.

"No"

"I know the sun!" Victoria said

"That is correct, Victoria, good job," Grizabella answered. They played like this all day until Jennyanydots called. "Jemima, Victoria, time to go home!"

"Okay!" They called back.

"Bye Grizabella, we'll see you tomorrow at the ball!" The kittens said hugging Grizabella goodbye. "Such sweet kittens," Grizabella said softly to herself as the kittens walked away with Miss Jenny. "I can not wait till tomorrow."

At the Jellicle Ball, all kittens sleep till 6 pm so that they won't fall asleep in the middle of the J Ball. So at 6 the kittens got up and brushed their fur until it was nice and smooth. Before they left, Jemima asked Munkustrap " Why do you hate Grizabella so much?"

"I do not hate her!" Munkustrap argued. Jemima gave him a look. "Okay maybe a little, so to keep you from asking me a million times, I will tell you the story of Grizzabella the Glamor Cat. once upon a time Grizzabella was the most beautiful cat ever seen. She was walking to the Junkyard when a handsome tom caught her eye and she caught the tom's eye. they fell in love and Grizzabella left the junkyard to live a life of glamor with the tom. And now she wants to come back when she had already chosen to leave forever. The end." Munkustrap finished the story.

"Oh" Jemima said and then they left the den to join the other cats in the junkyard. Every cat was there, from Skimbleshanks to Alonzo who is rarely seen in the junkyard except during the Jellicle Ball. Finally, at 7:00 sharp Munkustrap began " Are you blind when you're born?"

They had just finished the song about Jennyanydots when the music changed and everyone heard a familiar meow. Etcetera screamed as her not-so-secret crush appeared. Munkustrap rolled his eyes as his brother came into the clearing discreetly. "Meow," said the Rum Tum Tugger.

"Leave it to your uncle to make his own song," Munkustrap muttered to his kittens, "Just don't get too crazy."

"Too late," Victoria and Jemima chorused as Tugger started to dance.

" The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat." they sang.

" If you offer me pheasant I'd rather have grouse," Rum Tum Tugger sang. He kept on singing about himself then just before he started another "amazing" verse Quaxo jumped in and sang "The Rum Tum Tugger is a terrible bore." Tugger shot him a murderous look and continued. " Only when I'm in I want to go out. I'm always on the wrong side of every door, as soon as I get home I like to get abou-out." he kept on singing, shaking his hips. Finally, at the end of the song, all the kittens crowded about him while he sang " And there's no doing anything abou-ou-out abou-ou-ou-out abouuuut about it!" then Etcetera promptly fainted. Tugger started going nuts about all the attention he was getting and began blowing the kits kisses. They kept squealing and fainting while Munkustrap rolled his eyes. Suddenly, Grizabella entered and Tugger walked past and fluffed his mane sarcastically. Then Tumblebrutus pushed her away. Jemima and Victoria raced toward her saying "Hi Grizabella!" She opened her arms to hug them but Skimbleshanks and Jennyennydots held them back. Jemima looked at him sadly and Skimble solemnly shook his head

"Remark the cat that who hesitates towards you in the light of the door which opens on her like a see the border of her coat is torn and stained with sand. And you see the corner of her eye twist like a crooked pin" Grizabella sang sadly, looking around the stopped when she came to Jemima and Victoria. Her pleading eyes seemed to say help, you are the only cats in the whole world who care for me. The kittens nodded and then were grabbed by their mother and pushed behind her.

"She haunted many to her own resort near the grimy streets of Tottenham Court she flitted around the No Man's land from the "Rising Sun" to the "Friend at Hand" and the postman sighed as he scratched his head "You'd really had thought that she ought to be dead" and who would ever suppose that that was Grizabella, the Glamor Cat." Demeter sang.

"Grizabella, theGlamor Cat, Grizabella, the Glamor Cat and who would ever suppose that that was Grizabella the Glamor Cat." Bombalerina and Demeter sang together. Grizabela left the rejecting crowd sorrowfully and looked back at Jemima and Victoria only once, saying to herself "Only if everybody was as sweet and kind." While Victoria watched her go Jemima called her over.

"We've got to save her she's like a 102 and she needs our help! We have got to prove to everybody that she is sweet and kind!"

"I know I just can't figure out what to do," Victoria answered

" You know what? let's think about it over the next song and then we'll meet again." Jemima said.

"Ok."

Suddenly a very round tuxedo cat entered with the help of Jenny and Jelly and a jolly tune started up.

"Bustopher Jones is not skin and bones. In fact he's remarkably fat," Jenny sang cheerfully.

"Who's that?" Victoria whispered to her father. "He looks round enough to be a bowling ball."

"That's my uncle Bustopher Jones. Now be nice. He's very important," Munkustrap hissed. He then put on a large grin and saluted his uncle. Bustopher Jones took a seat on a large top hat and started to sing about all his eating habits.

"I wish he'd stop talking about food. I'm getting hungry," moaned Jemima.

"Look at Misto! He's literally licking his lips!" grinned Victoria.

They finished the song with Bustopher giving Jenny a rose and then her fainting. Jemima and Victoria both shared a secret smile. Jenny obviously admired the St. James' Street Cat.

A loud siren broke the night's serenity. "Get everyone to safety," Shouted Munkustrap to his second-in-command, Alonzo. Victoria and Jemima Quickly crawled underneath the TSE1. Suddenly, a familiar giggle rang out in the silent junkyard. Mungojerrie shushed her very loudly. Jemima and Victoria looked at each other and giggled. "Shhhh!" Mungojerrie said again.

"Wot'cha shushin' a' me foh? " Rumpleteaser asked angrily.

"Ya giggled!"

"I did no'!"

"Did too!"

"Did no'!"

"Did too!"

"I Did NO'!"

"Well tha's enough talk. let's ge' back to the song. Bu' mahk my wohds, if ya giggle one more toime you'll be sorry," Mungojerrie growled.

Jemima giggled again. Mungojerrie looked at Rumpleteaser and started to charge at her. "Wai'," Rumplteaser said, "look a' tha' crowd. the Jell'cles will kick ya ou' if ya make em look bad in fron' a crowd like tha'." Mungojerrie growled again, but a small grin started to form.

"Well, then, le's give 'em the ol' pehfohmance, eh?" Mungojerrrie said. He snapped and the music began. they did a bunch of acrobatics during the song and at the end everybody came out and said "and there's nothing at all to be done about that!" and threw their bags out of the junkyard.

"Moi Peahls!" Rumpleteaser shouted and dived after her bag. Mungojerrie had no choice but to follow his partner after her bag.

"Too'les," he said over his shoulder. As they scampered after their bags Old Deuteronomy entered.

"He's here!" Misto shouted they then began a song about Old Deuteronomy, their leader.

Then they began signing about the jellicle ball and the requirements of a grabbed Victoria and said:"I know how to make everyone like Grizabella!"

"How?" Victoria asked.

"We sing a song for her!"

"Great idea, but what-" Victoria was cut off as Grizabella suddenly entered so Munk made everybody leave. Old Deuteronomy stayed where he was. Grizabella began signing Memory. "Come on this is our chance!" Victoria said to Jemima and they ran up to the highest rock in the junkyard. Jemima and Victoria began to sing."Memory turn your face to the moonlight"

As they sung there voices melted together, creating a beautiful harmony.

"Let your memory lead you"They continued."Open up enter in. If you find there, the meaning of what happiness is. Then a new day will begin." They hugged and went back down to join the rest of the crowd they sang a couple more songs when Munkustrap suddenly announced "Old Deuteronomy has decided!" All the cats gathered round even Grizabella was standing on the outscerts of the Old Deuteronomy pointed through the jumble of cats at Grizabella and said in an old,cracking voice "Grizzabella is the one the Everlasting Cat has chosen." All the cats came round and hugged her and they well, accepted her. Grizabella stepped on to the tire and began to float into the air. A large paw came down and she stepped on to it. "Thank you Grizabella!"Victoria and Jemima shouted.

"No" Grizabella said with tears in her eyes."Thank you."

The end!


End file.
